GCSE results 2026

Essex GCSE results 2026

Provisional 2025/26 results for 80 state secondary schools in Essex, 16,426 pupils. Essex ranks 90 of 151 councils for Attainment 8, which rose by 0.4 points on 2025.

Grade 5+ English & maths

45.1%

2.7 pts below England

Grade 7+ English & maths

13.1%

1.6 pts below England

Attainment 8

46.3

1.3 points below England

Council rank

90 / 151

By average Attainment 8

Essex at a glance

Highest Attainment 8: King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford (83.0); highest non-selective: Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School (63.2).
Schools range from 26.9 to 83.0 on Attainment 8, a spread of 56.1 points, so the school you choose matters more than the council average.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged 33.4, 16.2 points behind their classmates (a wider gap than England’s 13.8). They did best at Colchester County High School for Girls (74.3).
Essex has 4 grammar schools, which lift the council average. Compare the non-selective schools with each other. Grammar schools in Essex.
Most improved on 2025: The Ramsey Academy, Halstead, up 7.2 points to 46.5.

Every Essex secondary school, ranked

Ranked by Attainment 8 · 2025/26 provisional · E&M: English and maths

#	School	Pupils	Attainment 8	vs 2025	Grade 4+ E&M	Grade 5+ E&M	Grade 7+ E&M	Disadvantaged A8
1	King Edward VI Grammar School, ChelmsfordGrammar	151	83.0	−0.3	99.3%	99.3%	87.4%	—
2	Chelmsford County High School for GirlsGrammar · Girls	180	81.4	+0.7	99.4%	98.9%	88.3%	69.2
3	Colchester Royal Grammar SchoolGrammar · Boys · Christian	128	80.9	−1.2	100.0%	98.4%	82.0%	74.1
4	Colchester County High School for GirlsGrammar · Girls	190	79.7	−0.9	100.0%	98.4%	82.6%	74.3
5	Brentwood Ursuline Convent High SchoolGirls · Roman Catholic · Top 10% three years running	165	63.2	+2.2	90.9%	84.2%	35.2%	58.7
6	The Beaulieu Park SchoolTop 10% three years running	175	59.3	+2.2	88.6%	77.7%	28.6%	37.9
7	Anglo European SchoolTop 10% three years running	235	58.6	+3.0	82.1%	64.3%	18.7%	51.5
8	St Benedict's Catholic CollegeRoman Catholic	181	58.4	+3.7	88.4%	75.7%	20.4%	51.6
9	Saffron Walden County High SchoolTop 10% three years running	300	55.8	−3.9	77.7%	64.7%	26.7%	37.8
10	Becket Keys Church of England Free SchoolChurch of England	174	55.5	−0.5	81.6%	63.8%	17.8%	40.0
11	Davenant Foundation SchoolChurch of England	180	54.9	−1.8	81.1%	67.8%	16.7%	43.1
12	Moulsham High School	256	54.8	−3.5	77.0%	60.9%	19.5%	42.5
13	The King John SchoolPartially selective	284	51.6	+2.0	76.4%	54.6%	14.1%	39.5
14	West Hatch High School	247	51.0	+1.5	76.1%	59.1%	18.6%	39.5
15	Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport	199	50.7	+5.8	73.9%	50.3%	16.1%	32.5
16	Greensward Academy	260	50.5	+1.1	78.1%	53.8%	14.6%	34.0
17	St Mark's West Essex Catholic SchoolRoman Catholic	174	50.0	+3.7	70.7%	48.3%	14.4%	37.1
18	St Martin's School Brentwood	280	49.9	+4.0	71.4%	54.6%	15.4%	36.8
19	The Gilberd School	296	49.9	−3.5	70.9%	49.7%	13.9%	38.3
20	The Trinity School	122	49.6	—	76.2%	57.4%	13.1%	31.5
21	Manningtree High School	165	49.2	+0.6	73.3%	52.7%	13.3%	32.7
22	The Boswells School	239	49.1	+0.7	71.1%	46.9%	14.6%	36.5
23	St John Payne Catholic School, ChelmsfordRoman Catholic	184	48.7	−1.2	65.8%	46.2%	10.9%	37.7
24	Great Baddow High School	251	48.3	−1.7	69.3%	39.8%	7.6%	36.8
25	The Stanway School	279	48.3	+0.1	73.8%	51.6%	8.6%	33.6
26	Mayflower High School	270	48.1	+0.5	75.9%	52.6%	10.4%	29.7
27	Chelmer Valley High School	192	48.0	+2.7	66.1%	50.0%	13.0%	39.6
28	Debden Park High School	171	47.4	−0.9	66.1%	46.2%	12.3%	39.9
29	The Billericay School	258	47.3	−2.7	68.2%	48.1%	10.5%	36.6
30	The FitzWimarc School	286	47.3	+2.1	66.1%	42.0%	5.2%	39.6
31	Burnt Mill Academy	173	47.2	+2.0	65.3%	49.1%	12.7%	36.7
32	Alec Hunter Academy	217	47.1	+1.4	70.5%	49.8%	12.9%	38.3
33	Brentwood County High School	138	46.7	+3.5	69.6%	47.8%	15.2%	41.3
34	Epping St Johns Church of England SchoolChurch of England	163	46.6	+3.8	69.9%	46.6%	10.4%	40.1
35	The Ramsey Academy, Halstead	134	46.5	+7.2	67.2%	52.2%	7.5%	32.3
36	Thurstable School	202	46.5	+4.6	68.3%	52.0%	12.4%	33.7
37	Notley High School and Braintree Sixth Form	247	46.1	+1.2	70.9%	48.6%	5.3%	36.8
38	De La Salle SchoolRoman Catholic	144	46.0	+4.2	64.6%	43.1%	9.7%	37.3
39	Beauchamps High School	235	45.6	−2.5	67.7%	46.4%	14.0%	33.8
40	Philip Morant School and College	314	45.6	+1.1	65.0%	48.1%	10.2%	33.2
41	The Sandon School	204	45.5	−1.1	67.6%	37.7%	5.9%	30.6
42	The Honywood Community Science School	155	45.1	−1.2	65.8%	37.4%	9.7%	37.6
43	Sir Frederick Gibberd College	141	44.7	+0.7	68.1%	41.8%	9.2%	34.4
44	Woodlands School	294	44.4	+2.3	61.6%	42.5%	11.6%	35.6
45	Roding Valley High School	231	44.2	−2.9	63.6%	44.6%	10.0%	33.0
46	Helena Romanes School	243	44.0	−2.6	67.5%	41.6%	9.9%	28.6
47	William de Ferrers School	234	43.8	−0.3	62.4%	41.9%	10.7%	32.1
48	Hedingham School and Sixth Form	193	43.5	+3.6	62.2%	40.4%	9.3%	26.5
49	Forest Hall School	98	42.8	+2.2	58.2%	41.8%	11.2%	39.3
50	New Rickstones Academy	181	42.5	+1.9	61.9%	39.8%	11.0%	32.2
51	Paxman Academy	173	42.4	+1.1	57.8%	36.4%	8.7%	33.1
52	Shenfield High School	234	42.4	−2.9	54.3%	35.5%	6.8%	35.4
53	St Helena School	197	42.4	−3.6	56.3%	36.0%	5.1%	34.7
54	Colne Community School	235	42.3	−0.7	59.6%	40.9%	8.1%	28.0
55	Plume School	292	42.2	−0.7	62.7%	37.7%	4.5%	32.5
56	The James Hornsby School	205	41.8	+2.9	53.7%	32.7%	4.4%	34.4
57	The Sweyne Park School	266	41.3	−2.7	62.4%	36.1%	6.4%	32.3
58	The Thomas Lord Audley School	171	41.2	−1.1	50.9%	35.1%	9.4%	34.1
59	Castle View School	189	40.9	+4.9	50.8%	30.7%	3.7%	34.9
60	Maltings Academy	162	40.6	+0.7	58.6%	37.7%	5.6%	30.7
61	Tendring Technology College	288	40.6	+3.7	60.4%	35.4%	6.9%	32.6
62	Hylands School	102	40.3	+2.5	54.9%	40.2%	9.8%	29.8
63	Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow	187	40.1	+1.2	50.3%	29.4%	9.1%	32.5
64	The Ongar Academy	94	40.0	+2.6	44.7%	30.9%	5.3%	31.7
65	King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy	143	39.7	+3.2	51.0%	25.9%	4.2%	33.5
66	The King Edmund School	217	39.3	+3.0	50.7%	27.2%	2.8%	35.1
67	The Appleton School	280	39.0	−0.6	57.5%	36.1%	5.7%	33.5
68	Tabor Academy	196	38.5	0.0	51.0%	31.6%	7.1%	30.7
69	The Bromfords School	190	38.2	+2.3	48.4%	25.3%	3.7%	33.3
70	Mark Hall Academy	141	37.8	−1.1	49.6%	35.5%	4.3%	31.1
71	Clacton County High School	290	37.5	−1.1	45.5%	27.6%	1.7%	31.4
72	Ormiston Rivers Academy	180	36.7	−5.2	46.7%	28.3%	6.1%	26.9
73	Passmores Academy	237	36.2	+1.4	46.8%	22.4%	3.4%	26.4
74	The Cornelius Vermuyden School	162	35.6	+3.4	51.9%	21.0%	0.6%	29.1
75	Colchester Academy	177	35.3	−3.2	42.9%	26.0%	4.5%	28.2
76	Harwich and Dovercourt High School	197	34.1	−3.5	36.0%	23.4%	5.1%	26.0
77	The Deanes	111	32.2	−2.2	30.6%	14.4%	0.9%	27.6
78	Bmat Stem Academy	88	29.9	+1.8	38.6%	14.8%	1.1%	22.4
79	Clacton Coastal Academy	262	29.6	−0.4	33.2%	14.9%	1.5%	24.3
80	The Basildon Upper Academy	347	26.9	−1.8	28.0%	14.1%	2.9%	21.3
	England average		47.6		66.8%	47.8%	14.7%	37.7

Disadvantaged A8: Attainment 8 of pupils eligible for free school meals in the last six years or looked after; blank where the school has too few to publish. Small year groups move more from year to year.

Essex against the rest of the East of England

Grade 5+ in English and maths, 2026

Reading these figures

Attainment 8 is out of 90: a pupil’s grades in eight GCSE slots added up, with English and maths counted twice.
There is no Progress 8 this year (these pupils sat no KS2 SATs), so results partly reflect each school’s intake.
These are provisional figures; revised ones with re-marks follow in early 2027.
Source: Department for Education, Key stage 4 performance (school-level data). Council figures are our pupil-weighted calculation over state-funded mainstream schools; independent schools are not included.